1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image display apparatus, an image capturing apparatus, and an image display method. More particularly, the present invention relates to technology for displaying, on an image display apparatus, images associated with in-focus areas used for focusing during image capture.
2. Description of the Related Art
By displaying images captured with a digital camera, etc. (hereinafter referred to as “captured images”) on the display of the digital camera or on the display of a PC (personal computer), etc., the user can verify the focus state during image capture. However, since the focus detection areas used for focusing during image capture are in general extremely small, when the entire captured image is displayed on the display, it is not easy for the user to verify whether the image is correctly focused in the focus detection areas.
Accordingly, technologies have been proposed for facilitating focus state verification by the user by displaying on a display enlarged focus detection area images after image capture and during image capture (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-64259 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-153045).
In addition, as can be seen from Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-64259 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-153045, in conventional image capturing apparatuses, one or more focus detection areas were preset in the imaging region. However, when a person is the object, it is necessary to be able to appropriately focus on the person no matter where the person is located in the imaging region. Accordingly, technologies have been proposed for detecting the faces of people being photographed (hereinafter referred to simply as “faces”) in the imaging region and setting up focus detection areas in the vicinity of the detected faces (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-107335 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-107555).
Conventional technology did not consider whether the focus detection areas were set based on faces when images used for focus state verification were displayed on the display. However, images suitable for focus state verification vary depending on whether the focus detection areas are face-based or not.
The present invention was made with account taken of such circumstances and provides a technology for displaying, on an image display apparatus, enlarged images suitable for verifying the focus state of captured images regardless of whether the focus detection areas are face-based or not.